By AUSTIN SMITH
Grab your shamrocks, green beer and Tylenol because Missoula’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities are coming up this Saturday, March 15!
Create room for the loaves of soda bread to come by entering the Run for the Luck of It 5K and 7 Mile, an annual footrace hosted by Run Wild Missoula. The race begins and ends at Sean Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Kickoff Block Party; brunch will be served to participants around 9:00 a.m., and live music including the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band and Cootehill will be blasting all day.
At noon, the 34th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will follow its traditional route from the intersection at Broadway and Higgins to Grizzly Grocery on Beckwith. It is free to register in the parade, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians will be accepting entry forms until Thursday, March 13.
After the parade, take a trip to Dublin, Mo., with a 2:00 p.m. matinee of UM Theatre and Dance’s Book of Days. Once its curtains, you can either head to the Friends of Irish Studies’ St. Patrick’s Day Dinner and Auction, or toss a rose in your mouth and head to Argentine Tango Night at Downtown Dance Collective.
To top it off and make sure you head home with a smile, take your pick from a handful of live performances including George Carlton at Ten Spoon Winery, Josh Farmer Band at the Union Club and Muzikata at the Top Hat’s anniversary party.
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Austin Smith is a 23-year resident of the Missoula area, and an ardent fisherman, hunter, and snowboarder. When not working on the University of Montana campus, taking classes in the Journalism program, or contributing to the social media efforts of several local organizations, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his Akita and his family.